Environment & Energy
In reply to the discussion: Intermittency Of Renewables?… Not So Much [View all]BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)You wouldn't build 20% more coal of nuke plants than you need because you would still have huge maintenance and fuel costs. But with wind and solar, there are no fuel costs at all, and most of the money is initial capital (plus some ongoing maintenance). Because of this, there is no reason to try to plan for 100% capacity. It is no big deal to plan for 105% or 110% and simply not use the juice when you don't need it. You didn't pay anything for the wind or sun, so if you have to dump those electrons, you haven't lost anything.
And if you go for 110%, it is almost impossible to have a load balancing problem. Instead of dumping the excess, you can turn it into hydrogen to power fuel cells. Or you can use it to run desalinization plants, filling up large storage containers with fresh water during times of excess power.